Containers having threaded neck portions adapted to receive various closure caps are, of course, well known. Such containers come in a variety of shapes, and the closure caps may be provided with a peripheral skirt portion ask to give the container a symmetrical, smooth, uninterrupted appearance. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 176,226 to Morris, Des. 223,438 to Lluch, Des. 244,176 to Pardo, Des. 235,032 to Atkins, and Des. 250,248 to Grip, each disclose designs of bottles or containers having a closure cap adapted to provide the container with greater aesthetic appeal.
Closure means wherein the cap includes a skirt portion are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,273,247 to Earls, 4,322,012 to Conti, and 3,888,373 to Gach, et al., and French Pat. No. 77 00326.
The Gach, et al., patent relates to a child-resistant closure which includes an outer skirt, an intermediate skirt, and an inner skirt, the inner skirt being engaged within the container neck to form a first seal. A plurality of concentric members depend from the container cap and engage the top of the container neck to form a second seal, there being an integral annular sealing ring positioned between the intermediate skirt and the container to form a third seal.
The bottle cap disclosed in Conti has a first annular sealing flange engaging the internal wall surface of the bottle and a second annular sealing flange engaging the top surface of the bottle neck, said second flange being constructed with a flexible tip that flexes relative to the remaining portion of said second flange as it is engaged by the top of the bottle neck to produce a flapper-type seal.
The Earls patent concerns a bottle closure-cup assembly for use with a bottle having a rotatably removable cap. The assembly includes a cap having an inner cylindrical collar extending from the cup base and spaced apart from the top wall. The collar includes a plurality of inwardly facing axial ribs with a plurality of transverse-retaining lugs for engaging the cap. The cup and cap may be rotatably displaced as a unit, or, if desired, the cup may be separated from the cap while the cap remains on the bottle, by pulling the cup upwardly away from the bottle. The cap may then be removed separately from the bottle.
The French patent is similar to the Gach, et al., patent, except that there is provided in the neck of the bottle of the French patent a metering device adapted to regulate the dispensing of liquid from the bottle body.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,231,155 to McConnel discloses a container and closure cap therefor, the cap being fixedly rotatably positioned by means of lugs extending inwardly from the cap and being rotatable with slots provided in the neck of the container. The closure cap is adapted for rotation 90.degree. from an open to a closed position, an orifice being exposed in the open position.
U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 31,496 to Keeler and 4,301,937 to von Hagel are also of interest as illustrating tamper-resistant closure caps. U.S. Pat. No. 2,952,374 to Pryale discloses a sealing apparatus having multiple sealing surfaces wherein one of said surfaces is angularly inclined to the direction of sealing movement as between a screw cover and container. U.S. Pat. No. 3,402,844 discloses a catsup bottle having a base member adapted to function as a cap, thereby allowing for inversion of the bottle.